Westfields 3 AFC Wulfrunians 1

AFC Wulfrunians were left to rue missed chances as they slipped to a 3-1 defeat away at high-flying Westfields.

Jamie King cancelled out Deqwon Eubanks’ opener but late goals from Phil Glover and substitute Dan Polan secured the points for the home side.

Westfields were quickest out of the blocks with Jamie Cuss firing over the bar and Craig Jones striking a long-range shot wide of the target.

Wulfs first effort at goal came on the quarter hour mark when Andy Thompson headed a Scott Stevenson cross just wide of the upright.

They went closer still in the 35th minute as Jake Sedgemore’s long free-kick was headed on by Dan Parker but the ball struck the post via a slight deflection.

Westfields hit back with Dean Lee curling a shot just wide and Joel Edwards seeing his left wing cross strike the face of the crossbar.

Both teams had a great chance to open the scoring just before the interval, Craig Gregg rolling his marker before firing wide from 22 yards for Wulfs and Glover was denied by a superb point-blank save by Jono Brown at the other end after a goalmouth scramble following a right wing corner.

It was Wulfs who came out stronger at the start of the second half, going close on multiple occasions in a short space of time. First Mike Robertson’s shot was pushed out by the keeper and Thompson’s follow up was superbly blocked at close range and then Gregg dragged a shot wide after bursting clear of the defence.

Two Sedgemore free-kicks then caused problems, the first headed goalwards by a Westfields defender only to be miraculously cleared off the line by Edwards at the far post and then another was half cleared to Stevenson who lifted the ball back in to an unmarked Parker. His first effort was saved at close range by Matt Gwynne and his follow up effort flew over the bar.

King was introduced as sub for Wulfs and should have made an immediate impact when he headed over from a good position following an excellent cross from Robertson.

After soaking up all of this pressure, it was inevitably the home side who opened the scoring in the 67th minute in fortunate circumstances when Eubanks closed down keeper Brown whose attempted clearance struck the big striker and diverted straight into the net.

Wulfs continued to push forward and got a deserved equaliser ten minutes from time when Josh Jones drilled a cross into the far post and King volleyed home from eight yards.

King almost grabbed a second just one minute later when he latched on to Jack Marsh’s pass but he could only fire wide from a good position.

All of Wulfs’ endeavour was undone in the 86th minute when Craig Jones’s free-kick was powerfully headed home by Glover to put the home side back ahead.

Still, Wulfs had a great chance to equalise in the final minute when Marsh picked out Stevenson at the far post but his first-time shot from close range went in the one place that Gwynne could save it.

Westfields secured the points four minutes into stoppage time when a quick breakaway ended with Polan turning neatly before finding the far corner with a perfectly placed shot from 20 yards.